Fire-escape apparatus.



PATENTED MAY 28. 1907;

- 0. W. BERGQUIST. FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 190

za gseg mechanism adapted for hotels and other places where it-has been found impract cable- UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoII.

OLAES WILLIAM BERGQUIST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE APPARATUS.

To all whom it Indy concern:

'Be it known that I, CLAEs WILLIAM BERG- to employ the more bulky and cumbersome devices which take up considerable room, re-

quire more or, less skill or previous training for their operation and whose first cost of installation is comparatively great.

With the above-named general objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the drawing and incorporated in the claims.

In the drawing-Figure 1 is a view of a part of a building to which my invention has 1 pointer at'the' braking-'r'nechanism i. A light cord or rope 9 of la'bo'u t thesame length as the weightsustaining rope 5,"connects the A ratus. Fig. 3 is an edge'view.

been applied and showing aperson in the act of making use of the device. Fig.2-is an enlarged view showinga side view of'the'appar Referring in detail to the several views in the drawing,q2represents ,the outside of a window casing and same is provided 'With a{ hook 3 upon which theibrakemechanism of the apparatus is suspended. 1 he ro e or' cable 5 isprovidedaatits ends w th be tso'r; vstirru'ps (Sand A person 8 is shown occur" pying the stirrup 6 in Fig. 1. The heavy rope 5, which mustsustain the weight of the person'or' persons using the "apparatus is yn ade long enough 'to permit one of the belts .tonearly orquite-reach the ground Orland;

inglplacewhen the other-belt is a'tits highest two belts and .isused to slacken the speed of descent after the descending person has passed the rising end or belt of the heavy rope,- in case .the drop should be too rapid.

A A slight pull on they upwardlyrising'run of the rope will increase the braking-power" of the machine, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

-As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the brakinginechanism comprises a U-shaped'bracket 1O 7 u with which an eye-boltll'hasswlvel connec- I descending body even without the auxiliary Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application filed January 14, 1907. Serial No- 352.080.

Patented May 28, 1907.

tion. The bracket supports a pin or bolt 12 I which projects beyond the sides of the bracket and on the projecting ends are pivoted a-pair of rock-bars 13 and 14 which operate as a single member and will be referred to as such hereinafter. From the ends of the rock-bar comprising said members 13 and Marc pivotally suspended hangers, or rope guides 15 and 16, each ofwhich is shown as consisting of two strips of metal between which are rotativelymounted a series of sheaves or grooved pulleys 17, 18, 19,20, 21 and 22.

friction rolls 23 and 2 4; are also shown as A adapted for insertion between the sheaves where additional friction-engagement with the rope is desiredto retard its passage" through thebraking mechanism} On the pin or-bolt 12 is also pivotally hung a friction plate or brake-shoe 25 which-is suspended between the two rope-guides, or rope-retard ers. 1 At the lower ends of the rope-guides, or retarders, guards 26 and 27 guide the rope pro erly onto and from the sheaves.

hile the mechanism 4' is, for the sake of convenience in illustration, shown hung-on the outside'ofthewindow-frame, it is intend ed, in practice, to'behung on -the inside of the frame whereit can be readily located in case of need and protected against the weather Theoperationof myinventionis as follows; -When -a weightis impos'edguponone-ofthey runs ofthe rope its inwardly projectingben'dsi. C 2s and .29 are by thetilting-of thelropkebar "forced against the friction-"platej25. flin-Figq, 52 the dotted lines showJthe positions 1 of" the .11 parts whenja weight has been imposedupon". ftheright hand runof theropeii pulling u down upon the left-handrun the latter-will the sheavesbut the left hand hangerfwillbe'f forced closer to .thefriction-plate and the,

when not in'us'e.

not only be tightened in its engagement with.

friction between-thelatter andsb'end 29 isin f creased Asboth the rope-guides areidentical and either the left or righthand-run can merit of the-apparatus or delay occasioned 'in- =1 emergencies, With. an increaseoridecrease f;

tively, an increase, or decrease of frictional engagement between the rope andsheaves,

as the bends of the rope over the sheavestend I to straighten out. This, in practice, has

been found to regulate the rate of speed ofa 1 41 a be used no confusion can arise in the employcontrol afforded by manipulation of the ascending run of the rope referred to above.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a rope or the like, of a pair of pivoted hangers movable angularly toward and from each other; a brakeshoe, suspended between said hangers; a series of sheaves or friction-members over which said rope is arranged to pass along a tortuous path over said hangers; said rope arranged so that 'it may contact with said brake-shoe during its passage over said sheaves or friction-members.

2. The combination, With, a rope, of a brake-mechanism comprising pivotally suspended hangers, or rope-guides, having sheaves or friction-members, mounted therein and a brake-shoe pivotally suspended between said hangers; said rope arranged to pass over said sheaves in such a manner that parts thereof are exposed to contact with said brake-shoe, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sol my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

- CLAES WILLIAM BERGQUIS'I. Witnesses MAE C. ALLEN, LILLEON Cv HoUGn. 

